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The Penitent: Part III
The Immortality Wars The Penitent Part III is the epic conclusion of The Penitent Trilogy. In a battle between good and evil, Pall Warren is in the middle of it all, fighting evil demons to save humanity from the tyranny of an occult priest. Set in a world reminiscent of the Middle Ages with a fantasy spin, Pall continues on his quest to reconnect with his friend, John Savage, and find his place in the world.
The story begins with Pall helping Tom in the aftermath of the Ünger attack. He travels with Tom and his daughter to their new home in Gullswater. While in Gullswater, Pall puts feelers out to see where he can find the bowman, aka Savage. Leading Pall on a quest to Seascale, where he joins forces with Mercer, an ex-member of Gregor Mordant’s Marauders.
Once in Seascale, Pall and Mercer begin their mission to track down Savage and quickly find themselves deep in battle. Meanwhile, Savage works with his boss, Peredurus, the King’s Minister of Affairs, to update him on West Fündländ. Savage also alerts Peredurus to his views that Mordant is a traitor to the King. Peredurus begins his mission to validate Savage’s belief. All parties start to build the forces up for the impending war.
What I loved most was the multiple POVs, especially during the battle. I love when authors utilize this writing style as it gives me a better insight into the motives of the characters. A. Keith Carreiro is a strong writer, at times his style is more formal to help set the tone and add depth to the characters personality. I benefited from learning multiple new words as he has an expansive vocabulary.
The Penitent by A. Keith Carreiro is a thrilling adventure novel written for fans of fantasy and science fiction. The author is skilled at world-building and excels at keeping the reader engaged. Overall a strong finish to this riveting trilogy. Readers will enjoy finding out how Carreiro wraps up things.
Pages: 292 | ASIN: B07WCHGRKC
When I Decided To Write A Fantasy
Haelend’s Ballad is an epic fantasy novel that follows an ensemble cast that are trying to survive in a war torn land where fate conspires against them. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
Definitely history. Our own world is full of war and atrocities, and yet we often only see one side of the story. But when we look at these historical events from various perspectives, we see a much more complex (and often darker) reality. When I decided to write a fantasy, I felt that having a large cast from different backgrounds and perspectives would be the best way to reflect that reality.
Your characters are intriguing and well developed. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
On one level, I simply wanted my characters to be real. I wanted them to be flawed, multi-faceted, and to sometimes just make really bad decisions. They needed to wrestle with their own sins and as well as the sins other against them, and that, in turn, should impact the choices they make. On another level, music was a big influence that helped shape each of my characters. I listened to a lot of early American ballads and classical composers, as well as more recent musicians such as Mumford and Sons, Radiohead, and Josh Garrels. Every character represented something that spoke to me in that music.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The biggest theme is probably suffering (how it impacts our worldview, the decisions we make, etc.). Other themes include the consequences of racism, nationalism, and political/economic corruption, as well as the power and freedom found in forgiveness, love, and self-sacrifice.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m currently working on a series of short stories that explores some of the mythology and other events in the world of Haelend’s Ballad. Also, I’ll be collaborating with my cover illustrator at the beginning of next year to create a series of illustrations for a hardback edition of Haelend’s Ballad that I hope to release at the end of 2022.
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A young man signs his own death warrant when he joins an already failing militia. A teenage girl is haunted by her childhood abuse and begins to crave the very things she hates. A childless mother finds herself on the run as a convicted murderer. Yet they are all unaware that their own fates are tied to a young orphan who has drowned and come back to life in a foreign land where he will be the death of everyone he meets.
Hælend’s Ballad is a tale about what happens when men and women from two colliding cultures realize they may not be on the right side. Heroes are villains. The persecuted are oppressors. And when rumors begin to spread that the world is dying, the darkness of their own hearts betrays them.
An Epic Saga Like No Other
Rise of Serpents is the third book in your epic fantasy series and continues to build the mythos and world to even deeper levels. What were some sources that informed this novels development?
The Primeval Origins® story is based on a deep understanding of our ancient mythologies (most prominently Sumerian, Egyptian, and India’s Vedic writings) and our modern religions (Christian, Jewish, Islamic, and Hindu). The story and its background integrates these mythologies and religions into a single story line spanning millions of years of earth’s history. Add to this our modern and speculative scientific and engineering knowledge and new discoveries mainly of the past (in archeology and paleontology) and in the fundamental sciences (physics, astronomy, geology, and many others)…and many elements from Ancient Alien Theory. The Primeval Origins Epic Saga weaves all of this into the story told starting with our oldest creations myths…the creation of the modern earth and of the ancient god’s creation of humans on earth in the ancient story and blends/integrates the ancient story with our modern end-time prophecies in the near-future story told in each book’s prologue and epilogue. The near-future story is a build up to the state and conditions of our world demanding the ushering in of our end-times prophecies, seen through the eyes of the Witness and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Primeval Origins® is an epic saga like no other attempted.
What were some challenges you set for yourself as a writer with this book?
Simply, telling the Primeval Origins® story in a character-driven experienced tale that readers will enjoy with curiosity and with characters readers will love to love and love to hate. Then, the integration of all the elements identified above into an epic story line spanning 65 million years. It was a challenge taking now over 30 years of research and over 10 years for background mapping of story and characters…and then the experimentation and practice in writing into what has been published in the first three books.
This seemed like a very fun book to write. What scene did you have the most fun writing?
In book three, Rise of Serpents, the prologue and epilogue were fun to write with the more mature and capable Rogaan and Aren kicking butt against hostile forces from multiple factions in our near future. Also, in the ancient story, the ship battle with the first grand description of Agni Powers and the same with the final battle between demigods and the future Horsemen of Revelation. A lot of action driven through the characters and their interactions with each other as they transform from naïve and innocent to becoming experienced and aware of the world they are challenged by.
What can readers expect in book for of your Primeval Origins Epic Saga?
In the future story, the characters will experience a United States and world in political and moral decline. Nikki starts realizing who she is as Rogaan and Aren battle the forces of tyranny aided in the end by the Fourth Horseman…Death. In the ancient story, the Four Horsemen take a major leap into becoming who they will eventually be as they struggle against and battle with the ancient gods, the angelic choir prior to their elevation as God’s messengers, and even more ancient beings…the First Angels.
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AWARD-WINNING Epic Story: Book #3 in this Epic Fantasy / Science Fiction saga.
Multiple Awards and Honors (16 in total) – Books #1 (Paths of Anguish) and #2 (Light of Honor) are honor-rich and well-liked by fans and inquiring minds.
Rise of Serpents Awards and Honors
* Winner, Fantasy: Epic/High Fantasy, American Book Fest 2019 American Fiction Awards
* Winner, Science Fiction: Cyberpunk, American Book Fest 2019 American Fiction Awards
* Winner, Science Fiction: Parallel Universe/Alternative History, American Book Fest 2019 American Fiction Awards
* Finalist, Visionary, American Book Fest 2019 American Fiction Awards
* Winner, Science Fantasy, NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Award Summer 2019
* Winner (Silver) – Christian Fantasy/SciFi, 2019 Readers Favorite Annual Award
* Winner – Fantasy, 2019 New York City Big Book Awards
* Winner – Epic Fantasy, 2019 New York City Big Book Awards
Epic Fantasy, Science Fantasy, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Action & Adventure, Cyberpunk, Myth & Legend, Dystopian, Good and Evil, Christian Fantasy, Kindle, Nook, iBook/iTunes…and more history than is expected.
Seeking refuge from the relentless hunt, we evade the gathering forces of mankind and their guiding masters…the Serpents of Old…the Watchers of humanity. Knowledge and advancements fashioned for humanity’s betterment now turned foul by lord and servant alike, subjugating all to the ever-present examination of the surveilling State. Mankind’s self-subjugation rendering themselves as slaves to the unseen few, who only allow freedoms to peoples paying homage to their institutions of cunning tyrannies. Subtle guidance by the ancient scales now coil tightly about their corrupted human tools to deliver to them the World in arrogant defiance of the Creator-of-All. It is in this confrontation, I vision the origins of the Old Serpents…in our first civilization, seeing their Lights twisted and fouled by selfish wants and the corruptible doings of their divinities. Their ancient bane…the Horsemen, I see rise, then as now, who through deeds self-driven and compelled leave in their wake punishing destructions as they seek to halt corruptions both mortal and beyond. I sense I play a part in the approaching Apocalypse, through my aid to these Horsemen of Prophecy and something more. As I stand at the precipice to the end of the Fourth World-Age of humanity looking out at the coming tempest, I, Nikki, now do as our ancients did in tablets of clay, chronicling humanity’s undiscovered past in these steel bound epics to share with you before the sounding of the trumpets.
Phoenix: Field Of Mars (The Phoenix Trilogy Book 1)
![Phoenix: Field Of Mars (The Phoenix Trilogy Book 1) by [Jackie Anders]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41YXdDjJ8ML.jpg)
Phoenix: Field of Mars (The Phoenix Trilogy Book One) by Jackie Anders is a thrilling time travel romance story. Kyla Marshall, a Public Relations Assistant Director, travels to Israel on a PR assignment for her company’s client, West Bank Labs in Jerusalem. But the space exploration company has discovered something that they do not share with Kyla. While working late one night, she stumbles into a special ops mission to stop a rogue scientist from trying to change the past to cause a domino effect in the present. Kyla finds herself in Rome in 8 AD with a group of modern soldiers, led by Captain Christopher Eriksen. Will the team succeed in their mission? And will Kyla ever be able to return to her own time?
The premise of this gripping story piqued my interest right from the beginning. I enjoyed reading about the time period of Jerusalem in the first century and the ancient Roman Empire. It was interesting to get a glimpse into the day-to-day life of a prominent Roman citizen when Kyla remained with their hosts while Captain Eriksen and his team traveled with the Roman senator. I liked how the different team members of the Special ops unit were all from different countries, and the way they worked together on the mission. Each character felt unique and authentic and always added something different to the situation and dialogue
The ending leaves you desperate for more. There were some unanswered questions, making the follow-up story a must-read. I am definitely looking forward to Phoenix: By the Sword, to find out what happens next in the characters’ journey.
While I enjoyed this adventurous story, I felt that the novel leaned more towards the science fiction adventure genre, rather than the historical fiction genre, which ensures the story is consistently entertaining, but I would have liked more historical accuracy. Time travel come with all sorts of paradoxes, but the author leans into the narrative and keeps focus on the mission and the task at hand rather than the ripple effect the teams presence could cause, but I felt that some mention of it would have appeased the hard core science fiction fans.
Phoenix: Field of Mars is a lively time travel story that will keep readers entertained with its compelling characters and dramatic turn of events in every chapter.
Pages: 211 | ASIN: B07M8CYZJ3
Castle Warlock – Book Trailer
George MacDonald’s Castle Warlock is many things: a mystery, an adventure, a coming-of-age story, a celebration of the beauty of the Scottish Highlands, and a revelation of spiritual truth. At the novel’s center are two unforgettable characters, young Cosmo Warlock and his father, the Laird of Glenwarlock. Michael Phillips captured the essence of this Christian classic when he wrote that “most striking of all is the love which exists between Cosmo and his aging father, in the heart of which pulsed the earliest attraction of the boy toward the heartbeat of God himself.”
Her to Journey Through Healing
Devyn’s Dilemma follows a young woman trying to escape her past and finds much more than a job at The Towers castle on Dark Island. How did the idea for this novel start and change as you wrote?
I took three trips to Singer Castle (The Towers) with the docent of the island. What a joy it was to envision Devyn walking and working there! Her story developed deeper with each trip to the island, and so did her backstory as her brother got meaner and meaner.
Devyn is a charming character that I loved following. What were some sources that informed her character development?
I love interweaving the real characters (the Bournes) and imaginary characters like Devyn and Brice, though sometimes it’s challenging. As Devyn’s relationship grows with the other characters, she developed quite naturally. But, I must admit, there were times when she decided to do something unusual and I had to question her motives. Smiles.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Hope is a theme woven throughout all of my books because it’s so needed in this day and age. But with Devyn, I wanted her to journey through healing from family abuse and a low self-esteem—and she did.
This is book two in your Thousand Islands Gilded Age Series. What can readers expect in book three?
I’m writing chapter twenty at present, and it’s contracted to release Spring 2022. I must admit, I’m having a blast with this one.
It’s called Peyton’s Promise, and here’s the idea: It’s the summer of 1902. Peyton Quinn is tasked to prepare the grand Calumet Castle ballroom for a spectacular 200-guest summer gala. But when her pyrotechnics father becomes ill, she takes over the plans for the fireworks display despite being socially ostracized.
Patrick Quinn, Calumet’s carpenter and Peyton’s childhood chum, hopes to win her heart, but her unconventional undertakings cause a rift. Peyton must ignore prejudices and persevere, or she could lose her cool, lose Patrick’s love and respect, and forever become the talk of local gossip if she fails.
Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than twenty times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books.
Her first two books of The Thousand Islands Gilded Age series, Devyn’s Dilemma, and Katelyn’s Choice are available now, and book three, Peyton’s Promise, comes out Spring 2022. The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, Christmas Charity, and Sara’s Surprise, and her newest, Reagan’s Reward, are also available. Susan’s books have won numerous awards, including two Illumination Book Awards, the American Fiction Award, the Indie Excellence Book Award, and two Literary Titan Book Award. Reagan’s Reward is also a finalist in the Selah Awards. Visit http://www.SusanGMathis.com for more.
Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling around the world.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | GoodReads | Amazon
1910, Thousand Islands, New York. Others may consider The Towers castle on Dark Island an enchanting summer retreat, but to Devyn McKenna, it’s a prison. Yet as she works as a maid for Frederick Bourne, former president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, her life blossoms under the kindness of his family and fascinating entrepreneurs such as J.P. Morgan, Thomas Lipton, and Captain Vanderbilt. But more than anything, the growing friendship of Mr. Bourne’s valet, Brice McBride, begins to pry away the painful layers that conceal Devyn’s heart.
Brice is drawn to the mysterious Devyn even though he’s certain she’s hiding a secret, one far more dangerous than the clues they find in The Towers that hint of a treasure on the island. When Devyn is accused of stealing Bourne’s investment in Vanderbilt’s New York City subway expansion, he might not be able to protect her.
Tales of Elhaanai
![Tales of Elhaanai by [Nicole Thomas]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41BY1FO3vYL.jpg)
Tales of Elhaanai, by Nicole Thomas, is a mystical fantasy tale of power and betrayal. It is a book that follows the rightful heir to the throne of Elhaanai on a journey to regain his destiny. In the thirst for power, the King of Elhaanai is killed by his sister and is also after the life of the Queen of Elhaanai who is pregnant with a child. She gets cornered and shot with an arrow. However, she is determined to save her unborn child and so through a magical ritual, the Queen puts the soul of her child into a widow named Wleia, who herself is already pregnant. Wleia gives birth to twins. Sixteen years later, the son Eric and his twin sister from Wleia set out to regain the throne which was snatched from his parents and is his ultimate destiny.
Tales of Elhaanai is the first in a series of fantasy books by author Nicole Thomas. This novel delivers the perfect setup for a series that will be steeped in family rivalries and bitter battles for power. Nicole Thomas is a wonderful story-teller and immediately pulls you into the book with plot twists, magic, suspense, and much more, from the very start. The characters are well-written with a uniqueness to each of them. One of my favorites is Wleia who is wise and fierce but kind at the same time. She is the unsung hero of this book. However, Nicole still manages to not let the reader get lost in too many characters.
This was a very gripping read with the theme of good vs. evil embedded throughout. The novel is fast-paced and the character development is strong. Another central theme of the novel is Faith. Walking on the path of destiny to regain the lost destiny requires a lot of faith and it is well incorporated into this novel.
The writing is sharp for a first-time writer. Although I would have liked to explore the preceding life of the Queen and King of Elhaanai a bit more and in the beginning, it is a bit harder to make sense of where we are starting, the novel is still engaging for the rest of the story.
The words are crisp and clear and the ending leaves you wanting more. I believe Tales of Elhaanai can be enjoyed by both young adults and new adults alike. Tales of Elhaanai is a very entertaining fantasy novel that was hard to put down.
Pages: 130 | ASIN: B0874DYVJB
The Penitent: Part II (The Immortality Wars) – Book Trailer
The next novel in The Immortality Wars series continues . . . Her parents are viciously murdered by a band of killers. Hidden in the bottom of a roadside ditch as a baby in swaddling clothes, Evangel is only steps away from them. An old hermit, Matthew Greatworth, finds her the day after this tragedy unfolds.She is touched by a rare spiritual power and raised by Matthew in the heart of a sylvan wilderness. Evangel grows up in the quaint hermitage Matthew built years ago.In her 17th year, outlaws terrorize Matthew while she is away. The young girl reaches him just as his eyes are carved out of their sockets and placed on a stump before him.The miracles and struggles against those seeking to kill her, as well as those disbelieving the power of her presence, all come together in a battle of good versus evil. In a vision of clarity and prescience amidst her struggle for survival and meaning, she finds her future soul mate, Pall Warren, on a battlefield of death, and casts a prayer of protection around him. Evangel’s remarkable journey to save herself, her newfound friends and then those who believe in her, brings to the reader a hauntingly beautiful and startling tale of wonder.
LITERARY TITAN 